OAKLAND – The Warriors (10-1) play the Milwaukee Bucks (8-2) on Thursday at Oracle Arena. Below are more takeaways from the Warriors practice on Wednesday.

Do the Warriors fear the deer?

The Warriors maintain feeling pretty confident about their championship chances for obvious reasons. They won three out of the past four NBA titles. The Warriors have added a fifth All-Star in DeMarcus Cousins, who will eventually heal his left Achilles tendon and join Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

With the Warriors hosting the Bucks on Thursday at Oracle Arena, however, they admitted they pose a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. So much that Curry likened the Bucks’ rise under newly hired veteran coach Mike Budenholzer as “very similar” to when the Warriors hired Steve Kerr in 2014 to replace Mark Jackson.

“Change of scenery sometimes helps. You get a little boost of energy and shift in focus and perspective,” Curry said. “That little difference can unlock something.”

The Warriors might become a deer in headlights when they face All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has averaged 25.8 points on 54.4 percent shooting along with 13.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. Those numbers might increase considering the Warriors will not have Green, who is sidelined with a sprained right toe and foot. Meanwhile, the Bucks (120) trail only the Warriors (123.5) in total offense while leading the league in 3-point field goals per game (15.6).

“They used to try to slow it down a little bit,” Curry said. “This used to be a different look. But it’s almost turned into a positionless type of game with lineups and switching. Their matchup requires all your focus.”

The Warriors had trouble maintaining focus before the Bucks cemented their best start in franchise history.

Milwaukee ended the Warriors’ 24-game winning streak to open the 2015-16 season. Then, the Warriors shot 40.4 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from 3-point range, committed 16 turnovers and collected 20 fouls. Last season, the Bucks beat the Warriors on the road for the first time since 2013. Then, Curry (Grade 2 MCL sprain in left knee) and Klay Thompson (right thumb) missed the game. Kevin Durant was then tossed before the first half ended out of frustration with the officiating. It did not help the Warriors committed 18 turnovers.

“Their length defensively has been an issue,” Kerr said. “When you penetrate against these guys, the first few trips down you have to remind yourself, ‘Oh yeah we can’t pass over the top very easily.’”

So yes, tough challenges await. But enough for the Warriors to fear the deer? It does not sound like the Warriors fear anybody.

“It’s still early and they’re taking care of business like they should,” Curry said. “It’s important when you have that much potential to get off to a good start. But the season will shape out as it’s supposed to.”

(Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

The Warriors did not have much reaction to the election results.

For once, Kerr stuck to sports. After becoming outspoken about recent mass shootings and the need to vote during the mid-term elections, Kerr respectfully declined to offer his analyst on the outcome. The Democrats have a 222-196 majority in the House after gaining 27 seats. The Republicans still have a majority in the Senate, 51-46, after gaining two seats.

“Am I now a pundit, too?” Kerr joked. “Before, I was just encouraging people to vote. I saw there were 10 panelists on CNN last night. So maybe if I just snuck in there, no one would even notice.”

People would definitely notice Kerr, who has often criticized President Donald Trump for his divisive rhetoric. After Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke lost to incumbent Ted Cruz for state senator, Kerr went on Twitter and tabbed O’Rourke as the Democratic nominee for the 2020 election.

So what about that presidential ticket featuring Kerr and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich?

“It’s now Beto/Pop 2020,” Kerr joked. “Sorry I’m going to be busy coaching. But you guys take care of this.”

Curry, who also spoke out on gun violence and voting for the mid-term elections, did not just shut up and dribble.

“From my point of view, definitely some progress. But definitely a lot more work to do,” Curry said. “You look across the country. There’s obviously a lot of hope and participation and a lot of fervor for the conversations that have been started. I haven’t really had a lot of time to marinate on everything. But there’s progress.”

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr makes a face during the Golden State Warriors Media Day at Rakuten Performance Center in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

A reporter asked Kerr about Antetokounmpo and what makes him unique. Instead, Kerr gushed about Duke forward Zion Williamson after scoring 30 points on Tuesday against Kentucky.

“I probably can’t say anything more or mention his name,” Kerr said. “There’s lots of them. The one who is 285 [pounds]. I thought LeBron [James] was a one-shot deal. But apparently the next guy is coming. Before I get fined, I’m going to change the subject.”

Another reporter then mentioned the Warriors have no shot at landing Williamson since they will not be in the NBA draft lottery. Kerr laughed and then walked away from the press table to avoid saying anything else.

Curry won yet another shooting contest.

The Warriors’ star had no interest revisiting the two-year anniversary of making 13 3-pointers against New Orleans. That was an NBA record until Thompson broke it with 14 3-pointers on Oct. 29 in Chicago.

“I don’t speak on old records,” Curry said. “It’s not even relevant anymore.”

What is relevant: Curry beat Thompson and Quinn Cook in a 3-point shootout following Wednesday’s practice. Curry usually ends a practice session with having a shooting workout with Durant. Curry wanted to change things up, though.

“We usually do it on the road most of the time. We have to keep the season fun and have a little bit of a competition,” Curry said. “Obviously, we have a lot of competition and we have a good time shooting. It happens from time to time.”

This time, Curry won and shouted loudly across the court. Afterward, Curry likened the win to “birdying the last five holes to win a tournament.”